Dredging of Zeekoevlei to continue with extended working hours
07 December 2025
The City wants to inform the public, and in particular residents living in close proximity to Zeekoevlei, that the dredging of Storm Bay will continue until 19 December 2025, with work resuming on 5 January 2026. Also, the project team has been granted permission to work extended hours in order to speed up the dredging operations over the next 12 months.
On 30 June 2025 the City commenced with its first vlei dredging in 42 years, when a floating suction dredger and a team of 15 personnel started operations at the Storm Bay section of Zeekoevlei.
Up to 93 672,14m³ of sediment have been dredged at Storm Bay from the start of the project until the end of November. The total volume of sediment to be dredged at Storm Bay is 207 000m³ and it is anticipated to take about 12 months, if all goes as planned.
- On this note, the City wants to inform residents that the team will take a break from 19 December 2025 until 5 January 2026.
- To get ahead during the warm summer months when the conditions are more conducive with less water in the False Bay Nature Reserve, an application for a noise exemption permit has been made and recently approved. This exemption will allow the dredging team to work longer hours over the next 12 months.
‘The noise exemption permit gives us the opportunity to speed up operations and remove as much sediment as possible, and also, to keep to the timelines for this project. We will continuously monitor the noise levels, and I want to thank the residents from the surrounding neighbourhoods for their support and patience while we are working extended hours to deliver on this very important project.
‘The dredging of Zeekoevlei is a key investment and delivers on our commitment to restore, improve and protect our vleis. With the dredging we are removing the sediment that has accumulated over time, and this removal will improve water circulation and reduce nutrient build-up that causes poor water quality,’ said the City’s Deputy Mayor and Mayoral Committee Member for Spatial Planning and Environment, Alderman Eddie Andrews.
The City’s Environmental Health Department has issued a noise exemption permit to allow dredging activities after hours, as well as on Saturdays. This exemption is valid until 1 December 2026; and the working hours are as follows:
- Weekdays from 06:30 to 20:00
- Saturdays from 07:00 to 18:00
- Sundays no work
Dredging information
- The total volume of sediment to be dredged from Storm Bay is 207 000m³ and is estimated to take about 12 months
- The total volume of sediment to be dredged from Home Bay is 157 000m³ and is estimated to take about 14 months
- Hydrographic surveys of the dredged area are conducted every two weeks to measure the progress
- The dredged sediment is being pumped from Zeekoevlei via a 4,3 km long slurry pipeline to ponds for dewatering and storage
- The slurry pipeline crosses several roads within the area, amongst which Governors Walk and Peninsula Road
- The supernatant water is pumped from the dewatering ponds to the Cape Flats WWTWs via a 2,3 km long pipeline
- 15 000m³ of rock material was used in constructing the mound bund walls at the dewatering ponds to assist with the dewatering and drying of the dredged sediment
- Dewatering sumps are located around the perimeter of the dewatering ponds to assist with the drainage of supernatant water to the Cape Flats WWTWs
(Caption: Zeekoevlei is located in the False Bay Nature Reserve, a Ramsar site of international importance for wetlands. The City is also accredited as a Ramsar City. Improving water quality is a key international commitment)
End
Published by:
City of Cape Town, Media Office
